Limassol Marina: The transformation of an abandoned area of the city thanks to a major project!

* NOTE:All the tributes of All About Limassol (as the Official Guide of Limassol) aim to ONLY highlight the special aspects of this wonderful city, so that everyone can be aware of the exceptional options they offer. Under no circumstances do they have any promotional or nominal value, and they do not serve the interests of Companies, Municipalities, Organizations or Individuals.

Nov 08, 2018

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The Limassol Marina as an idea first came about as early as the 1960s, though it was not until half a century later that this idea would begin to take shape, and its design and implementation commence. For many decades prior, the area where the Limassol Marina lies today had been one of the most marginalized parts of the city. Today, it is one of the most sought after.

In the mid-20th century, the British used the dock west of the Limassol Port (what is today known as the Old Port, and what was then the only port) as a reception area for travelers who were suspected of carrying contagious diseases. This ‘quarantine quay,’ as it became known at the time, served to disinfect and limit the numbers of some of these infected travelers. For the rest of Limassol, of course, this was an area which people went out of their way to avoid.

After Cyprus’ declaration of independence, and the departure of the British colonizers, the area had still not managed to integrate itself back into the city. With its warehouses and old industrial units bordering the shipyard, the area ended up becoming overrun with old objects, rusted metals, and all kinds of debris. The people of the city continue to stay far away from this area, despite the short distance which separated it from the historical city center. In fact, life seemed to stop at the limits of the Old Port.

Relevant

In 2008, when plans were submitted for securing a license for the commencement of the project, Limassol could never have imagined that it could have its own modern marina, a point of attraction for thousands of visitors on a daily basis, and which would go on to become a natural extension of life in the city center. It took 2 years for all necessary permits to be granted, and construction of the project was finally launched in 2010. In fact, securing the necessary licenses was the most time consuming part of the project, taking longer than any of the stages of construction, even some of the most complex ones such as the developments on artificial islands in the water.

The first plans of the Limassol Marina.

As construction progressed, the area began to take on its new appearance, and when the first buyers entered the Limassol Marina property market in 2013, nothing remained of the original image from a few years earlier. The Limassol Marina proved to be a project that gained international accolades and exposure, attracting investors of 34 different nationalities, and boasting successive sales records since 2010. Indeed, after the Cyprus financial crisis of 2013, it was the liquidity secured by these sales that allowed for construction of the project to continue to reach its completion.

The comparison between the grotesque image of the area just before the construction works, and the image of the area right after, shows the importance of this project for Limassol.

Beyond the fact that the luxury properties of the Limassol Marina are so highly sought after that they are often resold at prices of up to double the original, the value of the project is also demonstrated by the fact that it has been embraced by the people who have made it a part of their daily lives from 2014 onwards, when it first opened its doors to the public. The shops and leisure facilities in the Marina square attract thousands of visitors daily, all of whom select the area for relaxation and fun, while at the same time, many cultural festivals also take place in the area each year.

* NOTE: The tributes of the Project "History of Limassol" present information that has emerged from historical research thus far. Any new data is embedded into the tributes, once it has been confirmed.